Inspirations

My brothers,  show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ  Recently, I took a trip that required flying.   When they called our flight, I was at the gate ready to board.  Do you know I had to wait!  See I thought that the first ones there boarded first.  As it turns out, the “preferred” customers got to board first.  Since I was not a preferred customer, I had to wait while the special customers got on the plane, and I had to “get my tail on the tail”.  The airline made distinctions and treated some customers better because they had more money and could pay for better treatment.  It doesn't just happen at airlines; it happens at school when some kids are treated differently by other kids because they can’t afford designer clothes, or aren't as smart as others, so teachers treat them differently.  Perhaps it’s a theater or a ball game, and you can’t afford a nice box seat, so you have to sit in the no...

We all make New Years resolutions.  If you're like me, they go something like this.  I want to lose weight.  I want to save more money this year than I did last year.  If I'm feeling really "spiritual", I want to read through my Bible, be kinder to others, listen to God and the list goes on.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with resolutions and setting goals.  In past years,  I have made them myself. Lately, God has shown me some problems with this way of setting goals. First, why are you waiting untl New Years Day to change a habit.  If God has convicted you about a problem in your life in July are you going to tell God, "sorry I can't do anything about this because it's not January yet"; of course you wouldn't.  If God shows us a problem, we need to set about correcting it right then, not later. Later is simply another way of putting off what we don't really want to deal with. Second, We end up feeling one hundred per...

This will be a sign  to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:12 Christmas is almost over.  We scoured the malls for the perfect gifts. Stood in the freezing weather to sing carols. We went to the Christmas parties; stayed up late wrapping gifts that will be unwrapped way quicker than they were wrapped. We planned and cooked a dinner. We have eaten way more than any one person ought to eat; yet, when dessert is brought out we quickly partake.  We have visited with family.  If you're like me, these are the things we think of when we think about Christmas.  This year God has challenged me to reevaluate my ideas about Christmas.  We all have heard the phrase, "Jesus is the reason for the season".   Yet, it's easy to get sidetracked.  To lose sight of the stable in search of a perfect Christmas.  So this year God challenged me to stop trying to make Christmas perfect and let each Christmas be uni...

This year, I have had to adjust my own expectations for Christmas.  Our youngest daughter is getting married. So, while others are thinking Christmas decorations; I'm trying to help a daughter with wedding decorations, long distance.  This Christmas has been anything but typical.  While we put the tree up as usual, I have found myself enjoying the carols more this year.  Because of the finances involved in  paying for a wedding, we have had to scale back what we are buying for Christmas.  Since I have not had a lot of time, I have not made Christmas cards, which I love.  At first, I was feeling down because it didn't "feel" like Christmas.  So God reminded me that Christmas was really about a baby in a manger; not about gifts under a tree.  Christmas this year has been a reminder for me to focus on Jesus and not on the things that we usually zoom in on at Christmas.  Yes, God has given peace even in the knowledge that this will be the fi...

  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,   because he will save his people from their sins.”   All this took place to fulfill   what the Lord had said through the prophet:  Matthew 1:21 Last Saturday I had the joy of watching our youngest daughter make a promise to her fiancé and become his wife.  We all make promises and sometimes we keep those promises and sometimes circumstances prevent us from keeping promises even though everything in us wants to keep them.  At other times, we are selfish and do not want to keep our promises.  We are human, and we fail sometimes; we can’t help it.  As I was watching my daughter and son- in –law say their vows I was reminded that people will let us down sometimes.  At some point, one of them may disappoint the other by making a promise they can’t keep. Over the years, I have made made some promises to my own husband that I could not keep.  As long as we are hu...

It's Wednesday of the first week of advent; so perhaps it's time to see how we're doing.  Is your to do list a mile long?  Have you met yourself coming and or going?  Do you feel like the rope in the "tug of war" game? One of Satan's tricks this time of year is to get us too busy to focus clearly on a "baby in a manger".  Instead he wants us to get busy doing so much that we can't possibly enjoy any of it, and we end up stressed and irritated. Remember that of all the people alive at the time of the birth of Christ only the shepherds got the message.  Why do you suppose that was?  Yes,  I believe it was to show that God Loves everyone, even the ones that society would look down on; but also because they were in fields watching sheep. I mean, think about it, they had nothing to do but stargaze.  They were able to hear God because they were quiet. So I want to give some practical ways to slow down.  I'm sure you've heard this before so co...

I am a “fixer” by nature.  “Fixers” want to fix things; it’s what we do.  This is especially true when it comes to people.  If they are hurting, I want to “fix” what made them hurt.  In short, I want them to stop hurting.  This is not always bad, but it can lead to one huge problem.  I tend to “take on” other people’s pain and make it my responsibility; that is never a good thing.  The other day I was in the process of thinking about a friend of mine; more importantly what he/she should do about a problem when God revealed something to me. It stopped me, mid-thought.  Are you ready for this? I can’t fix people. Big surprise, right; and yes I knew this but I definitely needed a reminder.  The fact is it’s not even my job to fix people. That’s God’s work. He fixes people!  I can pray for them; point them toward the solution but I CAN’T fix them.  God wants us to care about people; love them; help when we can.  The very best that...